Introduction: The S15 season has ended completely, and most players have been paying attention to the recent offseason. Top teams are gradually revealing their lineups for the upcoming season, and the intense competition in the LPL region is about to conclude. Recently, a surprising announcement emerged: Sofm, the former LPL annual MVP and world championship runner-up, has officially declared his return. The 27-year-old veteran is stepping back onto the professional stage, a move that reminded fans of Uzi, who also was a world runner-up—could he be considering a comeback too? Additionally, the ranked system for the new season has undergone several modifications to better protect fill-role players, including an option where losing does not deduct points.

27-year-old legendary veteran announces comeback

Most players have been highly attentive to this transfer period. Both LPL and LCK teams are progressively confirming their rosters for the new season. Overall, the LCK remains very strong; whether it's T1 or HLE, both have chances to fight for the championship. Gen.G and KT also have powerful compositions, and even DK has acquired T1’s AD carry Smash. In contrast, the LPL region currently only widely acknowledges BLG’s roster as solid; other teams face various issues, especially JDG, which despite heavy investment, lacks good options in the top lane. TES’s star player, JackeyLove, also rested during the first stage, with his return date still unknown.

As the transfer window draws to a close, a surprising announcement caught everyone off guard: the 27-year-old legendary veteran declared his comeback, having once secured a world championship runner-up position in the LPL. Although often joked about as "living in a villa by the sea," Sofm’s performance with SN was notably strong. In the S10 season, he even earned the LPL’s annual MVP award. Over recent years, he returned to his home country Vietnam and served as a team coach. Since announcing his return, the entire Vietnamese scene has been electrified; he is considered the spiritual pillar of Vietnam’s esports, much like Uzi is to the LPL.

Sofm himself responded, expressing his desire to reignite his passion with full effort. Reflecting on key moments in his life, he realized League of Legends has always been an inseparable part of him. Today, when the club and his younger teammates need an experienced presence by their side, player Sofm is back. This has led many LPL fans to recall AD carry Uzi, as every transfer period sparks rumors of his comeback, with this season’s speculation being particularly intense. Almost all industry insiders believe Uzi’s return is unlikely and that such rumors are baseless, but whether Uzi will decide to reignite his passion remains unknown.

For S16, the official ranked system has been significantly revamped to encourage players to return to ranked play, introducing the "Courage Blessing" mechanic to protect fill-role players. Simply put, after completing a fill-role ranked game with a hero rating of C or higher, players receive double victory points or protection from losing points if they lose. The root cause of fill-role issues is still the low player count; at peak times, there is usually no need for fill roles. In some rural areas, players can't even queue for fill roles anymore.

Farewell Thoughts

Honestly, I doubt anyone expected Sofm to return to the team known as the "Rabbits." At the height of his popularity in the LPL, he earned a very high salary. After returning to the Vietnamese scene as a coach, his income was certainly stable. As he said, this comeback is purely because his younger teammates need him. Hopefully, this return will inspire LPL players.

Dear viewers, what are your thoughts on this matter?